Fujimori's top aid flees to Panama

Associated Press

Published Monday, September 25, 2000

LIMA, Peru -- Peru's ousted spy chief fled Sunday to Panama, triggering opposition demands that President Alberto Fujimori's government explain how the former top aide eluded arrest and prosecution over a bribery scandal at home.

Fujimori said nothing about Vladimiro Montesinos' pre-dawn flight from the country, carried out in secrecy. Instead, he attended an annual ceremony honoring the armed forces and praised the intelligence services and military, where Montesinos has placed allies in many of the top posts.

Montesinos, who was at the center of a bribery scandal that is cutting short Fujimori's presidency, arrived in Panama early Sunday, the Panamanian government confirmed.

Panama had originally refused an asylum request for Montesinos that it said came from Fujimori's prime minister. But the office of President Mireya Moscoso said Latin American leaders and the Organization of American States had asked her to reconsider in a bid to ease Peru's political crisis.

''They asked us to reconsider, considering the significance that Mr. Montesinos' leaving Peru would have for facilitating the democratic process and peace in that South American country,'' her office said in a statement.

Montesinos arrived in Panama by plane around dawn Sunday, Arias said.

The U.S. embassy said Panama changed its mind after the OAS' strong endorsement of the move.

''We understand the government of Panama agreed to receive Mr. Montesinos following the strong endorsement of this action by the OAS secretary-general suported by countries of the hemisphere, including the United States,'' said Douglas Barnes, a U.S. embassy spokesman in Lima.

The exact whereabouts of Montesinos had been cloaked in secrecy since a videotape was aired Sept. 14 apparently showing him bribing an opposition lawmaker.

That sparked demands by opposition leaders that Montesinos -- seen by many as even more powerful than Fujimori -- be arrested and prosecuted. Fujimori announced two days after the scandal broke that he would call new elections and not stand as a candidate. He also vowed to disband Montesinos' spy agency and called for a thorough criminal probe of the alleged bribery.

Now, the opposition wanted answers about the government's role in Montesinos' escape.

''The entire opposition and the nation have demanded and continue to demand a fair trial'' for Monte-sinos, said opposition Congressman Henry Pease. ''They cannot give him impunity to escape.''

Pease added that the political costs would be high if it turned out the government allowed Montesinos to depart despite Fujimori's pledges that the ousted spy chief would face a criminal investigation.

The Panamanian president's office said Prime Minister Federico Salas first made a request for asylum for Montesinos late Friday. Panama, where many have rankled at the country's reputation as a haven for disgraced Latin American officials, refused that initial request.

But early Sunday, newspapers reported, Montesinos boarded a private flight from the military section of Peru's Jorge Chavez International Airport accompanied by three people, possibly his security detail.

Martha Chavez, a staunchly pro-Fujimori congresswoman with close ties to the military, said there was nothing to stop Montesinos from leaving.

''The government has made clear that he performs no public function. Nor is there any judicial order that prohibits his departure,'' she said.

A retired Peruvian army general, Daniel Mora, criticized Salas for his intervention on Montesinos's behalf. ''It's an embarrassment that the prime minister would make a telephone request of this nature,'' he said, calling the way the Montesinos' case has been handled a ''travesty of justice.''

Fujimori made no mention of his spy chief and instead praised the intelligence agency and the military -- where Montesinos is said to have placed many top officers -- for their loyalty during the fight against leftist insurgents.